Devon Rex Kittens

The Devon Rex is a very distinctive breed of cat with a somewhat strange appearance and loving temperament. The breed stands out from the others due its unique curly coat, huge ears and wispy tail. These highly intelligent felines will be your friends for life if you treat them well and will give you all the affection you need.

Devon Rex History

While the origin of many cat breeds is unknown, the arrival of the Devon Rex is one that can be traced because it is such a new breed. The first Devon Rex was born in 1960 and came from a cross between a curly coated male and a straight haired female in Devonshire, England. The dark brown kitten was named Kirlee due to the curly coat he inherited from his father. It is thought that Kirlee's parents might have been related because the recessive gene that causes the coat to curl would have had to be passed on from both parents.

Originally they thought he might be related to the Cornish Rex due to the similarities in appearance such as the body shape, ears and short ruffled coat. However, after a number of attempts by breeders to recreate the Devon Rex by crossing with the Cornish Rex it was obvious they were not related.

Devon Rex Appearance

The Devon Rex is a unique looking cat with large eyes, large ears and a slender body. They only need grooming very occasionally because they maintain their own coats very well. The Devon Rex has all three hair types; guard, awn and down however hairs can break frequently leaving small bald patched amongst the coat. These usually grow back in the spring time.

The coat is distributed unevenly on the Devon Rex; the thickest areas of fur are on the back, legs, paws, sides, tail, face area and ears. The under sections such as the chest and stomach are covered in a much finer fur that almost appears bald. The texture of this fur should be lovely and soft to touch. The coat can be any colour and should be rippled with the appearance of curls.

Devon Rex Character and Temperament

Devon Rex fanciers love this breed not only for their unique appearance but for their wonderful personalities. The Devon Rex is an extremely loving breed who will want to be involved in whatever you're doing, all of the time. They will want to be near you whenever you are home, will often snuggle up in bed with you and then wake you up in the morning with a loving head butt or purr.

Not only are they extremely affectionate and playful, they are also very intelligent felines and like lots of energetic activity. If you are away from home often then a Devon Rex probably isn't the best breed for you as they are not very independent and will miss you terribly. They get on reasonably with other pets and children but not as well as some other breeds.